


Foolish

by leafshinobis



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Love Triangles, Not Canon Compliant, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24523429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leafshinobis/pseuds/leafshinobis
Summary: Despite all her careful planning and high intelligence, all her training and reflections, she wondered how she could be so utterly foolish when it came to love.Takes place in the Naruto universe with just a few slight changes
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Uzumaki Naruto/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 57





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately.

Prologue 

惟 , "think, consider, reflect"

Yui had always been told she lived up to the meaning of her name. She never made hasty actions, always pausing to consider how any decision she made could ultimately affect her. She always thought things through, keeping a calm mind and demeanour. It was part of the reason she was such a skilled shinobi.

Making ANBU at 14 was no easy feat, and she knew it. Making Hokage’s personal guard at 16 was practically unheard of, yet she did just that. Yui constantly thrived in her work environment and it showed in her accomplishments. Her strategic thinking, sound decision making and balanced talent in the ninja arts made her a formidable threat. Most sought her as an ally, very few actively made her an enemy.

Don’t be fooled by her achievements, she worked extremely hard to get here. Yui knew this was her only way to break out of the orphanage system and into a better life. She was no prodigy but she refused to let it stop her. Day and night for years on end, she trained and learned and never settled for less than the best. It didn’t win her over many friends, but she had enough. Quality over quantity was her motto.

Despite all her careful planning and high intelligence, all her training and reflections, she wondered how she could be so utterly foolish when it came to love.


	2. Aware

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui wonders about her future and her current situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately.

存 “exist, suppose, be aware of, believe, feel”

Yui wondered how long it would take her to be able to move out. She knew ninjas were given pay and she could use those funds to find a place and live on her own. She had overheard the wardens talking about it. Life at the orphanage was not something she intended to stick to. Meals were given only once a day. They were usually bland, not of balanced ratios and definitely did not consist of enough nutrients for growing children. Clothes came once a year, mostly around festival times when the other villagers felt the need to alleviate their conscience. They would see little orphans in their government funded homes and feel their heart bleed, but only when it was good for their public image. Yui was sick of it.

She no longer wanted to be trapped by her socio-economic class. Yes, you read right. Yui understood the world she lived in very well. She knew that she had no power, no influence, no sway over anything that happened to her. How could she? She was only a poor little orphan girl. But Yui knew how to play the game. She knew she could learn more from observation, after all it’s not like the wardens usually bothered to teach them anything besides how to read and count. Yui spent her days observing the other children and the adults around them. Initially, her first lesson of observation taught her that those who were rowdy, who spoke up more and retaliated, were often met with harsh punishments and consequences. Immediately she decided she did not want to be one of those kids. Her second lesson taught her that if you blended into the background and caused little drama, the wardens would teach her how to write, read better and count more. Yui needed those skills if she was to make any real changes in the world. Her final lesson of observation in her early ages taught her that if you show gratefulness towards the wardens, they would sometimes bring books. Books, to Yui, were of the highest importance. They taught her things that no warden could. She would need that information if she wanted to succeed.

By the time she was 6 she understood that change and difference was met with opposition. She had seen enough of that through the actions of a blonde boy her age with whisker marks on his face at the orphanage. He was very…loud. She took note that the wardens were extra cruel to him, and she could not find a logical reason why. He spoke up yes, but not enough to warrant such cruel treatment. It wasn’t limited to just them either. Every time an adult came to view children from adoption, there was always a pointed look of disdain when they saw him. No matter how much she observed, she could find no answer for this. The actions of the elders trickled down to influence the children at the orphanage.

She often saw the blond boy by himself, gazing at the other children with a longing expression. He never had anyone around him, always by himself. She supposed that’s why he was so loud. The attention, no matter how negative, meant that someone was acknowledging him. For so long, she avoided anything to do with him and the other troublemakers at the orphanage in fear of her precious books being taken away. They were too important to her future, her ticket out of here.

The books talked of more than the alphabet and the counting system. They spoke of stories, both fictional and real. They spoke of the actions of heroes. Yui was no fool, she knew she was not a hero. She didn’t have the selflessness they exhibit, nor the tenacity to prove themselves. Yet, she craved to be in the presence of one. In her world of books, heroes gave off a warmth, a sense of acceptance. They protected those who needed it, with no demands or requirements. They fought until their last breath and beyond. Yes, Yui was no hero but she wanted one in her life to take her away from all this. She quickly grew out of the notion that someone would save her from this but yet she still held onto that hope, somewhere deep in her heart. 

That hope only continued to thrive the day an old man in a cloak and hat visited the orphanage. Accompanying him were three shinobi, decked out fully in uniform and gear. Yui, having never been outside the grounds of the orphanage, had never seen anyone look like them. They all had curious yet cautious expressions on their faces, the old man also having almost no expression at all besides the twinkle in his eye. They exhibited an aura of mystery, and strength. It was clear to Yui that the old man was important, and these shinobi were here to protect him. Strange, for some reason to Yui, he gave off the vibe that he didn’t need protection. The men moved into the office of the Head Warden, and Yui saw them only once more when they left. The moment the old man walked out the doors of the entrance the shinobi disappeared. They just vanished, into thin air.

It was then that her solution to her orphanage problem had just been presented to her. She spent that entire night considering who they all were, and how they could do that. The following day she put on her polite mask and asked the warden about those men.

“Ah… Yui-chan, those men were shinobi.” replied the warden in charge of yard duty that day.

“Shinobi?” she asked.

“Yes, Yui-chan. They’re like protectors for the village, fighting for our safety.”

So they were like heroes. The sudden realisation that heroes existed in real life, in her life threw Yui for a spin. Suddenly they weren’t these unreachable figures that existed only in books, brought to life by words on a page. There were actual heroes and Yui lived in the same village as them! The thought filled her with excitement. Could Yui meet those heroes? Befriend them? She didn’t have very many friends at the orphanage, though that was her own fault. She was by no means an outcast like that blonde boy, but she wasn’t popular either. She was too… focused. She didn’t get distracted by many things like children seemed to. She just wanted two things; to leave the confines of the orphanage and have her own hero. Maybe her hero would even help her achieve the first goal.

How cruel an awakening she got when she realised the only person she could depend on in her life was herself. The shinobi came and went, but they weren’t interested in the “lives of brats” so to speak. She viewed them no longer as just heroes, but goals. Through further questioning she found out who the man in the hat was as well.

Hokage. Leader of the Village. Strongest of the shinobi. She knew instantly that was not her aim. As she began to learn more about the ninja arts, through observation, reading and overhearing conversations, she finally figured out her goal. Jounin-sensei. Average enough to not draw too much attention, but impactful enough to earn a stable income and help the future generation. Yui already knew she would work to change the way the orphanage was run, sparing donations for funding when she started earning. No one should have to live how they lived.

She was pondering this one day as she was getting yelled at by the warden on duty. Though she was a favourite, it did not mean she was immune. With her wood brown wavy hair, similar coloured eyes and tanned skin she looked like many other girls in the orphanage, and the troublemaking ones took advantage of that. She was currently being chastised over some stolen bread, which she thought was quite silly. She had never stolen anything before, why did the warden think she would have started now? She certainly wouldn’t do anything that would have jeopardized her upcoming start at the Konoha Academy, just a few months away.

A loud sigh snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Brat, are you even listening to me? Do you have no shame?” scolded the matron.

She had just opened her mouth to retort when-

“Oi! She didn’t do it, dattebayo!” yelled a very familiar loud voice from behind her.

She saw the matrons face slowly colour in flames and slowly spun around to confirm her suspicions. True enough, there stood the blonde boy with a scowl on his face. Why would he step in like that? She racked her brain to try and find a memory of them interacting at all, and came up empty. It’s not like they were friends.

“You….. how dare you! I was talking!” yelled the matron.

“Yeah well, you were wrong old lady. She didn’t do anything, it was the other brown haired one. Who’s a year younger than us. I saw her do it myself so stop yelling at her!” he said defiantly.

The matron boiled until she was almost ready to explode, then stopped. She let out a loud exhale and turned to face Yui.

“Is this true, Yui-chan?” she asked, more evenly this time.

Funny how all of a sudden it was ‘Yui-chan’ again. Whatever happened to ‘Brat’? Yui decided to not look the gift horse in the mouth and just nodded, placing on her most innocent expression.

The matron just huffed, spun around and marched out. Yui took a moment to process the entire situation, before once again facing the blonde boy. She owed him her thanks, at the very least. He wasn’t looking at her, eyes fixated on some point of the wall with arms behind his head. He made a move to exit before he heard a whisper carry across the space between them.

“Thank you.”

“What… What did you say?” he asked, shocked.

She cleared her throat.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to defend me. You don’t even know me, and yet you did. So thank you.” she spoke, this time with more clarity.

“I…. Uh… It was no-nothing.” he stuttered out. No one had ever thanked him before, let alone speak to him with anything besides anger. Well, the old man did but that didn’t count.

“What’s your name? I’m sorry we haven’t spoken before. I usually keep more to myself.” Yui asked.

His eyes lit up, and his lips curved into a smile. For a moment, Yui was taken aback. In that moment, the blonde boy, the outcast, gave off such a warm feeling. A feeling of acceptance. He felt like the sun, like a hero.

“Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!” he grinned.

“Naruto, huh? I’m Yui.” she responded, with a slight smile of her own.

“What about your family name, Yui-chan?” he questioned.

“No family name, I was left at the entrance of the orphanage with only a card saying Yui in the basket months after I was born.” Her smile dimmed as she replied.

“Ah…. I…. Sorry. I’m sorry. I don’t know my parents too. At least I know you, right?” he offered his hand with a hopeful look in his eyes.

This boy… was truly something else. He just brushed off that they had been abandoned by their families, instead stating that they now have each other. Him offering his hand, extending his warmth to her, made that hope in the corner of her heart grow just a little more. Maybe she would end up knowing a hero after all.

She took his hand in hers. 

“At least we know each other, Naruto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I know I said weekly updates…. But that was a lie. My brain would not let me do anything else besides type so here we are, chapter 1! I tried to follow a linear timeline but honestly I just wrote and hope it flowed well. After this we get to see their academy days! Most of this is an introduction and we’ll properly get into the story around chapter 5-6 if all goes to plan! As always please leave comments or criticism, and messages are always welcome.


	3. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before they enter the Academy, Yui wonders what lies ahead for her and Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately

**煩 “** anxiety, trouble, worry, pain, ill, annoy, nuisance, irksome”

Something Yui had not anticipated in her life was the formation of bonds with other people. By thanking that blonde boy all those years ago, she opened herself up to an entirely new world. A world of caring and compassion that she never experienced before. Naruto had flipped her world upside down on that day he stood up for her. Much had changed since then. She decided to split her memories into Before-Naruto and After-Naruto.

Before-Naruto was a time of loneliness, obscurity and detachment. She felt no ties to anything or anyone. Her days consisted of observing from the sidelines, making sure no attention was drawn to her. Time was spent reading or learning, looking for ways to get her out of that miserable place quicker.

After-Naruto was a world of never-ending enjoyment and comfort. Days were spent pranking or playing, sometimes even lying side by side and enjoying the breeze as the world passed by around them. Reading and learning of course were still a priority, but she decided to share those things with Naruto. That was also something else he taught her, how to share. Albeit, he wasn’t too interested in the reading or the learning, but he would do anything for Yui. She was the only one who showed him kindness. He dreaded losing her, and she dreaded losing him.

They both felt that the upcoming entrance day to the Academy would mean their separation. A silly thought, since they were close in age, but not unfounded. Yui had found out, on one of their post-pranking yells, that Naruto was actually a year younger than her. It changed nothing in her eyes, but she knew there was now a much higher chance of them being put into different grades. If one added her intelligence and capacity to learn, she would most likely be advancing to a higher grade upon entry.

Entrance to the Academy was free for both her and Naruto to attend, covered by Konoha’s taxpayers. Lord Third had told them such at his last village. Their other fees such as books and studying materials would come from his own pocket, this she did not understand. Why would the Hokage himself fund their education in particular? She filed away this thought and decided to go back to it once she had gathered more information. Lord Third mentioned that on their first day, they would be sitting a written test to determine which class they would be joining, since they would be commencing in the middle of the year.

Yui had wanted to wait until the new year had begun so that they would be placed in the same class however Naruto was roaring to go the moment they found out they could join at any time. He compromised by giving her a month to come to terms with it but he was just too excited to start. He had always seen those cool shinobi everytime the old man came to visit him and couldn’t wait to learn how to move like them. He also saw that most of the time, those men or women were always greeted with respect. The old man especially had been given the most respect, without fail. Everyone acknowledged them and cared for them. He wanted to be acknowledged and cared for too. Of course Yui-chan did that and more, but it was only her. Only one person, with everyone else giving him those hateful eyes. He wanted nothing more than to change that.

Yui had understood his thoughts and concerns, and caved. She knew the sooner they started, the closer the both of them would be to accomplishing their goals. However, his words had hurt. He had inadvertently called her not enough. Her attention and care for him… was not enough. She… was not enough. She knew she shouldn’t take the words of an 8 year old boy so seriously, but to her, he had always been enough. No… he had been everything.

In the span of 2 years, he had shifted how she viewed things. People and places were no longer pawns or obstacles. Life was no longer day to day monotony with only education to look forward to. She now enjoyed and experienced so many new emotions. Every day was precious and should be important. He taught her that. So to hear that she hadn’t had as significant an impact on him as he had on her, stung.

Still, she brushed it off with a small smile on her face and allowed him to talk to Lord Third about entering the Academy mid year and here they are. The night before entrance, past bedtime, sneaking out to the yard so that they could stargaze in peace before they were introduced to the chaos of the Academy. She found him already lying on the field, his face illuminated by the light of the moon, enhancing the already prominent whiskers on his cheeks. She made her way over and laid down beside him.

As they laid side by side, starting at the vast sky filled with stars above them, she felt him reach out for her hand. Reminiscent of the first day they met, she took his hand in hers. The silence between them was one of comfort. It continued for a while as they lost themselves in thought before a soft voice entered the air.

“Ne, Yui-chan?” Naruto asked, his voice subdued for once.

“Yes, Naruto?” she responded.

“You don’t think they would split us up right? I even asked the old man not to. I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re my best friend Yui.” he enquired, dropping the honorific in a moment of seriousness.

“Naruto…I can’t lie to you. I never have been able to. I don’t have a good feeling about it. Logically, they would split us up. Even if you base it on age, I’m a year older and they’d probably put me in the class above yours and expect me to catch up.” she replied. She knew that Lord Third was aware of her, that she wasn’t as invisible as she liked.

The only response she got from him was a tight squeeze of her hand. She understood, in that moment, that Naruto was not as stupid as everyone made him out to be. He never had been. He understood that tomorrow meant change, a lot of it. No longer would they be thick as thieves, able to do everything together. Gone was their daily freedom, soon to be replaced with schedules that barely aligned. Her only time with him would be after class ended, which would also be shortened considering how exhausted they would most likely be with all this new training.

For a moment, she wanted time to freeze. She didn't want to grow up, she was only 9. She didn’t want to have responsibilities. She didn’t want to leave the safety of the orphanage, as much as she despised it. Most importantly, she didn’t want to be without her best friends. She feared her days would go back to fading into the sidelines, speaking only when spoken to. Her time with Naruto had gifted her with joy and warmth. He was like the sun, her sun. She didn’t want to go back to being cold, feeling cold.

She would lose her hero and she knew it. Being in separate classes meant different teachers, different subjects and different lunch breaks. Hopefully their life in the orphanage would stay much of the same, although her gut told her that would soon change as well.

As they lay there, simply contemplating the next stages of growing up, she made a vow to both him and herself. She vowed that, in some way of form, they would always be in each other's lives. It was selfish of her, she knew that there was a very real chance he would no longer need her in his life anymore. If that day came, she knew she would respect his wishes. How could she not? He had saved her from a lifetime of loneliness. Whether he knew it or not, he was a hero to her. He always would be.

Life would not be the same starting tomorrow. Their friendship would not be the same. Call her pessimistic but she couldn’t help but feel this way.

As it turned out, she was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m literally?? a joke??? i said once a week and yet here I am again. I tried to express the unequal bond here, as well as the difference in maturity between the two. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, please leave a kudos/favourite if you liked it, reviews would be greatly appreciated.


	4. Depart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui and Naruto's first day at the Academy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately

**就 “** concerning, settle, take position, depart, study, per”

The entrance of the Academy loomed over them as Yui grabbed Naruto’s hand. Just another step would bring her slightly closer to achieving her goal, but slightly further away from her hero. Without the need for words, Yui and Naruto looked at each other and silently nodded. They needed to do this, not only to prove a point to others but also themselves.

As they took a step towards the doors, dread began to fill her. What if she was making a mistake? What if she was separated from Naruto? What if she wasn’t suited to being a ninja? All these fears and more began to fill her heart and mind as they walked through the doors, only to be greeted by shinobi with a scar running across his nose and a familiar old man with a cloak and hat.

“Ah Naruto-kun and Yui-chan, welcome to the Konohagakure Shinobi Academy” said the old man, with that damned twinkle in his eye.

“This is one of our most esteemed Chunnin instructors, Umino Iruka. He will be giving you a tour of the place as well as answering any of your questions. After the tour, he will be assessing the both of you on your current knowledge, which will allow us to place you in the class that best suits your needs” he continued.

_ More like best suits YOUR needs _ , Yui thought. She knew how to read between the lines. Lord Third was hinting at their upcoming separation, but it came as no surprise to her. It didn’t make it any easier to think about though.

“Yeah okay old man, just get on with it!” exclaimed Naruto. He was practically shaking with excitement. This was an entirely new place for him. Like Yui, he had never really stepped foot outside of the orphanage. There was no need to.

Hiruzen chuckled.  _ He sure will turn out to be a handful _ , he thought fondly.  _ Her though… there’s potential. _

“Good afternoon kids, like Lord Hokage said, I’m your new sensei Iruka. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, otherwise are you both ready for the tour?” Iruka introduced himself.

They both nodded, one much more vigorously than the other.

So began their life in the Academy. The first introductory day went by fairly smoothly until it came time for the assessment. Iruka had them sit at opposite ends of the room and gave them both a thick booklet of paper. Yui found the material much less challenging than she had anticipated. If this was the level of knowledge expected, she could have graduated twice over by now! She had her books to thank for that. The exam consisted of basic reading, writing and comprehension skills followed by math, and a small section on ninja history at the back. Yui thought this to be disadvantageous towards civilian children, however she could not fault those who were lucky enough to be born into clans. It wasn’t exactly their fault.

While Yui had her head completely immersed in the exam, Iruka observed her. When he was told he would be testing the Nine-Tails container for Academy entrance, he was filled with rage. How dare they allow the reason for his parents death become even more proficient at killing? It wasn’t until his conversation with the Hokage, that he realised he may have had it wrong.

“Hokage-sama, I have never doubted your judgement until today? You want me to teach the Nine-Tails container? I’m not sure if I can do this…” Iruka pondered.

“Naruto. That container has a name Iruka. He is, as you say, a container. He is not the Kyuubi itself. It’s like calling the bowl you eat from, food. It’s like calling the glass you drink from, water.” the Hokage responded wisely.

Iruka paused. Subconsciously, he already knew what the Hokage was trying to imply. However, the loss of his parents was a wound too fresh to let heal. If he didn’t have the container to blame, he would have to confront reality. He wasn’t ready for that, not yet.

Hiruzen took his silence for confirmation that Iruka had understood his intent. He was sure that Naruto would receive unbiased education from him, at least he hoped that would happen. He had already failed Naruto too many times to count thus far.

Iruka let out a sigh. He knew he couldn’t let his own hatred for the demon affect his teaching of it’s vessel. He dismissed himself from the Hokage’s presence and began his walk back towards the Academy. Before he left, the Hokage told him that he would be receiving not one, but two new students. The other was another child from the orphanage, a girl just a year older than the container himself. Apparently, she has a massive amount of potential, especially in Intelligence and Espionage. If she received the right education, it could put her on the path straight to ANBU, as long as her Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu also were at an above average level by graduation.

Looking at her now, Iruka could see that happening with ease. She was almost two-thirds into the three hour exam and it had only been an hour.  _ She might even be able to rival a Nara _ … he was getting ahead of himself. No one could really rival a focused Nara, except a certain gifted few. Still, from his objective standpoint, she was quite intelligent. She could easily be in Naruto’s grade but it would be of no challenge to her.

The Academy usually spanned ages 8-12 over 3 different classes. Admission any earlier than 8 was granted only by referral from a Chunnin rank or above which has to be then cross-examined by the Hokage or someone he elects to represent him regarding this matter. Early graduation followed a similar process. All the sensei’s from each of the student’s classes had to be in full agreement for an early graduation along with the Hokage himself, no representative this time. This system was implemented towards the tail end of the Third Great Ninja War to ensure that children were graduating with the maturity to face the horrors of the actual ninja world, as too many had been lost during this time. The Fourth Hokage made it an irreversible rule. Only one has entered and graduated early since then… and he ended up massacring his entire clan. Due to this, many of the Chunnin sensei had been hesitant in allowing early admissions and graduations, fearing a similar outcome.

Iruka knew within the first few minutes of meeting Naruto that he would be placed in the Beginner year level like the rest of the children his age. In this class, they would begin to cover the basics of many different subjects as well as beginner Academy style Taijutsu, as well as the theory behind Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. The real question he had yet to answer was where to place Yui. The Intermediate class still covered the core curriculum, as well as regular Taijutsu practice, and beginner Ninjutsu and Genjutsu practice. It also consisted of Weapons Handling class, where they would learn how to utilize their tools and improve their aim, as well as Kunoichi classes. From his understanding, the only areas that Yui would not immediately ace are the Ninja Arts, Weapons Handling and Kunoichi classes. That was a considerable amount.

Iruka was not quite sure she was ready for the Graduating class. The year level had less of the core curriculum involved, with more time focused on the practice and application of all the Ninja Arts, as well as Weapons Handling. Kunoichi classes were only held once a week as a bulk of the basics were taught in the Intermediate year level. Still, Yui could pick up most of the theory from extra reading and would mainly be focusing on catching up in her application.

He continued to ponder on this until the clock on his table rang, indicating the end of the test. He first gathered the exam from Yui, who had not a speck of worry on her face.  _ At the very least, she would be at the Intermediate level _ , he thought. He then moved to collect the papers from Naruto, who looked very much the opposite of the calm exterior Yui presented.  _ Definitely Beginner _ … he knew this much.

As he moved back towards the desk and dismissed them for the day, he saw how she looked to Naruto first and waited for him whilst Naruto did not pay her similar attention. It was almost as if she were his shadow, waiting for him to make a move before she followed. He hoped that their upcoming separation wouldn’t hurt them too much.

Yui waited for Naruto to collect himself by the door after Iruka-sensei collected their papers. For a moment during the exam, she wondered if she should fake her results to make sure she remained with him, but that was a foolish thought. He wouldn’t need her, wouldn’t want her there anyway. He basically told her as such when he told her he wanted acknowledgement from more than just her. He would probably venture to make new friends, as she wasn’t enough. Yet, she couldn’t find it in herself to be too upset by it. She knew if she stayed back a year, that would be another year wasted that she could have used to escape that hell- hole. At least her sun made it more bearable. He just wouldn’t remain only her sun anymore, that’s what got to her. Soon, other people would know of his infectious smiles and his courage and his tenacity, they would know of his hilarious pranks and warming persona. She felt just a little bit colder inside thinking about it. He probably wouldn’t have much time for her either. She would just have to fill her time with something else, she refused to let one person affect her this much ever again. Only Naruto could. There was just something about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note; okay honestly, looks like I’ll be updating this twice a week if not more! I initially wanted to condense a lot of what I had planned into one chapter but as I’m writing I’m finding it really difficult so this will most likely not be the case anymore. I’m going to keep this as canon as possible until around the end of the war, where I’ll make some changes. Also that will happen around chapter 10(ish), if I keep typing at this rate. After all, it’s very much my own plotline with the involvement of loved characters in the OC’s life. As always, please leave a kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated! Hope everyone has a good weekend!


	5. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui's start at the Academy, and a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately

觧 “notes, key, explanation, understanding”

A month had passed since the day she began at the Academy. A month without her special person. Yui had been right in assuming they would separate them, as the moment they walked through those doors again, they were pulled in separate directions. Iruka had guided them both to a waiting room and asked to speak to Naruto. He returned but without the blonde whiskered boy in tow. The moment he opened those doors and entered alone, something in Yui cracked. She felt sadness well up with her, and her mind and body didn’t know how to react to it. For years, she had been numb and now she felt as though her emotions were being taken away with her person, for he had been the only one to really make her feel, to make her live.

She made eye contact with Iruka and she knew he knew that she had already figured it out. His eyes conveyed sympathy and understanding, but how much could he really understand? It’s not like he had been living a half hearted life before. She opened her mouth to ask what would become of her, but no words came out. Iruka’s face fell further, and he finally dropped the smile. Without a word, he came over and sat next to her on the couch, trying to offer solidarity and comfort.

A moment passed without sound, before he let out a sigh.

“I know you’ve figured out what’s going on, and honestly, I won’t lie to you. Most of the time, different year levels don’t interact with each other. Your timetables are different, and breaks don’t align. You’ll finish later than him most days, due to your mandatory Kunoichi classes. I wish we didn't have to split the both of you, but you two are simply just… too different.” Iruka finished with a devastating blow.

Too different. He wasn’t wrong, they really both viewed life differently. That’s what Yui liked about their friendship. Naruto was constantly showing her new ways of looking at life, of living. Iruka’s words deepened the crack inside her. She knew he didn’t mean any harm, but it was a reminder of how ill-suited she must be in Naruto’s life. Her sun didn’t need something cold hindering him and his path in life, he needed space to shine. If that’s what was best for him, she would do just that, even if it hurt her in the process.

Iruka watched the emotions play out across her eyes. She kept her face from emoting too much, she would make an excellent kunoichi that way, however her eyes held her truth in them. Sometimes he would forget that she was only nine years of age. Her demeanour screamed of solitude and knowledge, beyond her years. He wondered how two people from similar paths in life could be so different.

He stood up, and got her to follow him to her new class. His one regret is that he wouldn’t be her main teacher, no that responsibility fell to someone else. Someone he believed was ill-equipped to fully enhance her already present skills, but the decision was out of his hands. It was his own fault he chose to teach the Beginner class and follow them through until graduation. Had he not done so, he would’ve been free of that demon contain-… of Naruto. He had to change his way of thinking if he was going to uphold his title as an educator.

As they reached her new classroom, he turned to face her and placed a hand over her shoulder.

“You’ll be okay, Yui, you’ll make new friends and it’s not like Naruto is going anywhere.” He smiled at her.

She tried to smile back at him, but it came across broken.

They both faced the door once again, and in a strange moment of coincidence, took a deep inhale. Iruka knocked on the door and awaited a response from the teacher inside before proceeding. He received a shout of “Come in!” moment right after, and opened the door. He gently guided Yui inside, before walking up to Mizuki.

Mizuki was currently covering for the actual Intermediate homeroom teacher, as she was currently at home with a cold. From Iruka’s knowledge, she was kind but lacked the discipline to handle her class. She did a sufficient enough job however everyone in the Academy knew that to graduate from her class, you could only depend on your own ability to seek out information. She never went above and beyond for her students, which was upsetting for Iruka to think about. Yui would graduate, but her skills would have to be nurtured through her jounin sensei. He hoped the Hokage would pick well for her.

As Iruka explained what was going on to Mizuki, Yui took the chance to glance around the room. So this would be her class. She wondered what type of people sat before her. Were they like the kids at the orphanage, childish and mean? Was anyone like Naruto? She doubted it. Was anyone like her? She hoped not. That was no way to be living, especially for someone so young. Whatever they turned out to be like, she knew it wasn’t likely she would find a friend here. They were means to an end, classmates to gain knowledge from and that was it. She remembered a promise to herself, to never get so attached to a person again.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the teacher next to Iruka call her name.

“Yui-chan, I’m Mizuki sensei. I’m currently teaching the Intermediate class until your usual teacher recovers from her cold. Please introduce yourself to the class,” said the man with a smile.

She didn’t like him already. She turned around and faced the class.

“My name is Yui, please take care of me.” she said with a monotone voice.

As cliché as it sounded, she swore she could’ve heard a cricket chirp. The students looked at her in silence, just blinking, as did Mizuki sensei. She knew Iruka was slightly behind her, shaking his head.

“Ah… Yui-chan… would you like to tell us anything else about yourself? Perhaps any hobbies, or favourite things?” tried Mizuki again.

“No, thanks.” replied Yui.

She wasn’t interested in what Mizuki was trying to do. If she was going to reveal any information about herself, it would be her decision alone.

“Ah… okay Yui-chan. Let’s find a seat for you. Hmm… we don’t often have students join mid year and most of the spots are filled. There’s one over there on the right, next to Neji-kun.” pointed out Mizuki.

“I told you not to call me that.” spoke out a male voice.

Something about that voice sparked an interest in Yui. She followed the sound of it until her eyes made contact with clear, pupil-less ones. In that instant, she knew whoever that kid was, wasn’t like the others. He wasn’t even like her Naruto. He was like her. An aura of loneliness and pain washed over her as she studied him, and she felt that his past might even be more hurtful than hers. He carried himself with a seriousness she did not possess, that along with his eyes gave away that he was from a clan. Hyuuga, if her readings were right. His eyes searched hers in return, and whatever he found in them must have appeased him as the slight tension in his body disappeared.

_I wouldn’t mind being friends with him,_ Yui thought. Maybe there would be someone in this class that understood her after all.

She made her way over to the seat beside him, as the rest of the class observed them. Her eyes and Neji’s stayed locked in contact, neither tearing their gaze away. The chatter began to pick up as Mizuki and Iruka continued their conversation for the moment. When Yui finally approached the table, Neji and her just gazed into each other's eyes, having a conversation with no words.

_Do you understand me?,_ her eyes asked.

_I just might_ , his replied.

Since that day, a month of being the Hyuuga’s seatmate had gone by. She was right in assuming she would have no friends, her energy putting off the other children. She spent most of those days absorbing as much as she could from her lessons, as well as making use of the Academy library. Her days were much gloomier now without her sun, only spending a few stolen moments with him at the orphanage, as he was enraptured with his new discoveries of how his lessons would help his pranking. He had found other friends too, a group of boys that he hangs out with occasionally, even if the adults and most children still treated him with disdain. She was happy for him, even though that crack in her hurt each time they had to part.

Still, her days were not all bad. Neji and her were right in realising there was understanding between them. They did not speak much, nor often. He had no friends either, focusing on being the best in their year had cost him social interactions. It did not bother him much, for somehow Yui’s presence made up for that. They would sometimes spend their breaks together, sitting under the shade of a tree, reading in comfortable silence. Neither knew what drew them to each other, but it was something in their eyes that resonated with one another.

They both knew each other had pain in their past and present, but they were not ready to share. They knew they would both have to open up eventually, but for now they were both happy to find someone else who could make their life just a little bit better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: its me!!! sorry i took longer than i thought i would with this update. I wanted to post earlier in the week but got too busy with assignments and this new k-drama i’m watching, my friends got me hooked on them!! Just when i thought I could lead a peaceful life… nope. Here’s the latest in the series. I initially planned to keep the first few chapters short and condensed, with us getting to the real romance and drama soon but somehow my writing is more detailed than expected. Please let me know if you guys would like to see her days at the academy/during naruto and shippuden more detailed or if i should try and be brief as possible before getting to the real story. As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and messages are more than welcome!! I would love to hear everyones thoughts on the story so far!! If everything goes to plan, I’ll have another chapter up by sunday!!


	6. Separate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto moves out of the Orphanage, and there are consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC.

別 “separate, branch off, diverge, fork, another, extra, specially”

The past year and a half had not been kind to Yui.

Since joining the Academy, she had only gained one friend, if that even, in Neji Hyuuga. Classes had started to become more challenging in the past year, with the difficulty in the core subjects increasing. She had finally begun to learn how to use her chakra with jutsus, and found out she was skilled in chakra control. Not enough to be perfect, but enough to be a medic if that was the path she was to choose. She had a few days left until graduation, and it saddened her that the only people that would be in attendance for her, were also there for themselves. The Hokage was there to congratulate the class and Neji would be there to attend his own ceremony.

She had thought about asking Naruto to come, but their last conversation was not a happy one. The decline of their relationship had come abruptly, and intended by neither party. The cause of it lied with Naruto moving out of the orphanage. This was a variable she had not foreseen when she agreed to be placed in a different grade. If she had known that this was a potential outcome, she would not have let go of her precious sun so easily.

Close to the end of the previous year, Naruto and her were lying on the field in the middle of the night, much like the night before they entered the Academy gates for the first time. It had been a while since they had done this, only seeing each other in stolen moments or in passing. He had slipped Yui a note, asking her to meet him there when she had the chance to leave the keen eyes of the wardens. Upon reading said note, her heart welled up with a familiar warmth, excited to spend time with her hero again. It had been too long since the last time.

She headed down, making sure to wait for the dead of night, sneaking out while everyone slept. As she rushed to the field, she stopped short seeing the blonde whiskered boy already there. She let a few moments pass, choosing to just absorb the scene in and commit it to her memory, before deciding to make her way over. The only indication he gave of hearing her arrival was the turning of his palm over to face upwards, a silent ask for her hand.

She lay next to him, fitting her hand into his and turning her gaze to the stars. 

“What’s this all about Naruto? I’m happy to see you, but you feel… uneasy to me. Are you okay” Yui broke the silence.

Naruto stiffened when she voiced her concerns. He knew he would have to give her an answer soon, however he just wanted to enjoy a few more minutes with her. Before he broke that slight happiness in her eyes.

“Ah… Yui-chan… I was told something today. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but I know that’s exactly what this news will do. I want you to know that if I had the choice, I wouldn’t have chosen this. “ he replied eventually.

Yui closed her eyes. She braced herself for whatever was coming. Naruto took her silence as a sign to continue.

“Old man gave me a place of my own. He said it’s about time I start learning how to look after myself since I’ll be a real ninja soon. I asked him if you could stay with me… because you’re my best friend and all… but he said you were needed here. I tried to argue with him but he wouldn’t change his mind! It doesn’t make any sense Yui-chan, you’re gonna graduate first right? So why am I the one having to move out earlier, huh?” rambled Naruto.

“Move… out…?” Yui let out in a small voice.

“Yeah… I’m sorry Yui-chan. I don’t want to leave you. I never want to leave you. He’s making me, you know that right?” said Naruto.

To that, he got no answer. Not a verbal one at least. He felt the hand in his grip tightly, so tightly for a moment he thought he lost circulation, before he felt nothing at all. Before he could begin to panic, he felt a whoosh of air from beside him, giving him the answer he didn’t want. He turned over to check, and he was correct in his thinking. Yui had left. All he could process, all he could think to himself was,  _ huh.. so that’s the standard of an Intermediate genin. _

He had already thrown a fit in the Hokage’s office, yelling that the old man was miserable and just wanted him all on his own. He had screamed, cried and broken things in his frustration. It just seemed that the world was tearing him apart from the first person who had ever wanted to be his friend, who acknowledged him. He had made new friends in Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji, but none of them had ever been like her. None of them had bothered to get to know him better, beyond the surface. His little tantrum had gotten him nowhere, and his threats after that got him the same level of success. The Old Man refused to budge, stating that this was essential to his growth. He even asked him what was more important, Yui-chan or him becoming a ninja? That question made him stop in his tracks. His heart and mind yelled out Yui-chan but he stopped to really think about it. The Old man continued to say that if he achieved his dream, or at least was on the path to achieving his dream, he could help her achieve hers. He knew she dreamed of escaping the orphanage, which she will once she graduates as all genin are provided accommodation if they don't have their own, and becoming a jounin-sensei. He could help her with that if he became Hokage.

What the Hokage hadn’t told him was that it wasn’t his decision to move Naruto out of the orphanage. The Elders along with the Head Matron had conspired against him and told him flatly that if he didn’t move Naruto out, she would kick him out regardless. Hiruzen knew that this day would come eventually, however he hadn’t counted on Naruto forming such strong bonds that would urge him to dispute the move. He had to manipulate the boy into thinking that this move could benefit his friend, and he hated to do that. At least with this method, Naruto would accept the move easier and cause less fuss during the process.

Naruto may have eventually accepted the move, but Yui did no such thing. She had spent all of that night crying into her pillow, clutching her sheets to her. Her chest hurt, itched and burned because she knew outside of the orphanage, they never saw each other. She would now finally be losing the one person she cared for more than anything. She cried not only for the loss of her friend, but also the loss of her happiness and growth. Naruto was the one who constantly pushed her, who made sure she smiled at least once a day. What would she do now that he wouldn’t be in her life anymore? She knew she wasn’t the moon to his sun, she was something far emptier, far colder. She was the space around him, absorbing the warmth he gave off and giving nothing in return. She was vast and desolate, harsh and unforgiving, the only thing that brightened her up was his presence. Last night had been the last few flickers of his warmth, before the sun went beyond her reach.

She had spent the following few months petitioning her case to join Naruto to her teachers, asking them to vouch for her and allow her to move out. They finally caved and told her that she would most likely not be allowed to move out until she graduated, as per the rules of the Academy and Orphanage agreement. No one wanted to be the one to tell her that the real reason Naruto was forced out, or the fact that the Head Matron would be hard pressed to let her go as every child in the orphanage brought her income. She accepted this begrudgingly, and moved her efforts from moving out to graduating. If she could graduate and get on missions, she would be able to be with Naruto again.

After that night, Yui had seen Naruto only once. It was in passing after she had stayed back to ask her sensei a question and ended up leaving around the time the Beginner class was being let out. She had heard from him about his new friends, and today she finally saw them in passing, saw him. She was walking down the corridor to collect her bag from her classroom after seeing her sensei in the teachers lounge and spotted a bright blonde head walking towards her in the opposite direction. She stopped in her tracks. He was flanked by a slightly taller boy with a spiky head of hair and sharp eyes and a slightly rounder boy who was munching away at a packet of chips. She stayed as still as a statue, memories of their past flashing in front of her, as she waited for him to get closer before she said something. As he continued walking, he finally drew his attention away from his friends and made eye contact with her. His pace faltered slightly, to the notice of the spiky haired friend, as did his speech. The group of them continued to walk forwards towards her still figure, and she frantically thought about what she could say to him. Should she apologise for leaving that night? Should she ask to hang out? She didn’t even know where he lived now, nor how to get in contact with him. He never gave any of that information to her. The pain came back full force along with the memories of the last night she saw him. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear Naruto dismiss his friends until the end.

“You guys go on ahead. I’ll see you in a few minutes” whispered Naruto to his two friends.

The spiky haired one looked at Naruto for a second, then at Yui, before nodding and taking the other one along with him.

“It’s been a while, Naruto. How have you been?” asked Yui.

“I was expecting a hug at least, Yui-chan. We haven’t seen each other in so long.” tried Naruto.

“Who’s fault is that?” she bit out.

Silence filled the air.

“Please don’t be like that.” he tried once again.

“I’m sorry… I can’t do this. I can’t pretend like I’m not hurt and upset. I can’t pretend like everything’s okay. You didn’t even leave a new address for me to visit or write to. You didn’t make any visits to me at the orphanage, or try to find time to spend with me outside the Academy. You just left. It’s like I meant nothing to you. You found new friends and didn’t need me anymore.” she responded, with tears falling out of her eyes.

Naruto stood there, shell-shocked. He hung his head in shame. She was…right. He didn’t think to do any of those things. He had just left because that’s what he assumed he had to do. Not once did anyone tell him he couldn’t remain in contact with her, that decision he made on his own. Now his foolishness would cost him. He had nothing to say to her. There was nothing to say, besides begging for forgiveness.

Before he had the chance to, he heard a familiar whoosh. He knew what that meant without having to lift his head. She had left. He put her through so much pain that she couldn’t be around him. Somehow, this time it felt different. This time, her leaving felt final.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: HELLO!!! Sorry this took longer than expected but here it is. Basically assignments and online learning have been more painful than anticipated but I smashed this one out. I’m a bit torn now between how to progress from here. Let me know if you’d like to see a detailed recapping of the start of canon up until the end of the war (similar to how I’ve been writing) or if you’d rather it condensed into just a few chapters before we start with the main bulk of the story, which takes place a few years post-war! I’ll most likely be posting once a week until exams are done a month from now, and then back to two/three updates a week!! Thank you to everyone who’s been reading, I love to hear from all of you! As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated!


	7. Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui's conversation with the Hokage regarding her future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC

勧 “persuade, recommend, advise, encourage, offer”

The graduation exam was almost laughable.

Yui had spent the previous year and a half at the Academy and all they wanted to test her on was her ability to produce clones? Was her academic learning a joke to the assessors? Regardless, Yui astonished them by producing 10 perfect clones. She could have done more however why give away all her cards so soon?

During her time at the Academy, Yui had taken full advantage of the student library and the teachers there. She had perfected her theory-based subjects through her substantial readings and her gift for memorisation, it was almost eidetic. One of her teachers was convinced she might secretly be in the possession of the famed Sharingan eyes, how absurd. Yui was a nobody, and she was happy to remain that way.

She had also excelled in many areas of her Ninja studies as well. The Academy taught them the standard Taijutsu form, which she had blended into her own with a little help and training from Neji to incorporate the Hyuuga stance. She couldn’t make full use of that style due to her lack of doujutsu but her agility and flexibility found a better home with the Hyuuga movements than the academy one. She mixed that with whatever she had picked up on in Taijutsu training, and now her form was one of evasiveness and using the opponents’ momentum against them rather than take an aggressive approach.

Her Ninjutsu training had also shown her prowess with Chakra training. By fully understanding the theory behind Chakra and how it works, she had an easier time grasping onto the practical applications of it, surprising both her teachers and herself. It took the average Graduating class student a month to perfect the substitution jutsu yet it only took her a week. Whispers of her being a prodigy fluttered through the air but though she showed a keen interest in her studies and a high intelligence, she just didn’t give off the genius vibe that few before her did.

She had a special interest in Genjutsu, as she was fascinated by the ability to control the flow of Chakra within someone else to affect them so greatly. Genjutsu lent itself to the more patient players in the game, ones who were in it for the long run. There was something to be said about that, as Yui intended to be in this for the long run. Front liners were the first to go, high risk and low reward. Ninjutsu proficient mid-distance shinobi were many yet few with genuine talent to strategize and win. Genjutsu users required precise Chakra control and large amounts of careful thought and planning to execute it to perfection. Out of all the areas Yui would lean towards Genjutsu when she could, especially if the confrontation was anticipated.

Her efforts came with both good and bad attention. She was crowned Top Kunoichi of her year and the Hokage himself gave her special congratulations at the graduation ceremony along with an invitation to come by the Hokage tower later that afternoon to discuss team placements. It was extremely rare that he spoke with any of the graduating class regarding their placement but her situation was special. Danzo had taken note of her and she knew it.

To Hiruzen, Danzo was not a bad man; he was just misguided. He had learnt how to operate in the shadows so long as he thought he could control it, and by extension the shinobi world. Hiruzen was very aware of the little side operation he had going on with ROOT, but chose to do nothing about it as he had delivered results. As horrible as it sounded, some things just needed to be done. However, what he wouldn’t allow was another impressionable soul to be dragged into the shadows to commit atrocities. Danzo had enough resources, he didn’t need new recruits for a while and while Hiruzen knew he was stalling, he also knew he would have to knock Danzo down a peg or two before he had too much power. Being Hokage was about protecting the King yes, but it was also about maintaining an equilibrium. Too much power to one person and the entire system could topple.

As afternoon came and happy graduates of the Academy had gone home, Yui made her way to the Hokage tower. She was interested to see what Lord Third would have to say. She knew it would have to do with her upcoming team allocation so this either had to be a warning or a word of caution. She knew her skills were above and beyond what her current graduating class offered, the only two of notable talent being Neji and oddly Rock Lee, the latter being the most skilled in the year in Taijutsu. Perhaps this would be a conversation to not outdo her members, or hinder their growth. She had to remember there would be two other people to work with now, and they had to have each other's backs out there in the real world.

As she made her way up to his office, a chill overcame her. Hair at the back of her neck stood as she scanned the entire area with her eyes, looking for anything to explain this reaction. Moments later, an older man with bandages covering half his face and a walking cane walked down the hallway towards the exit from where she came. Each thud of his cane echoed in the tense silence as the two passed each other with not much more than a glance. Although… when their eyes met for a brief moment, Yui felt such coldness in her soul that she almost dropped to the floor. Whoever this man was, he was extremely dangerous.

Yui was shaken out of her thoughts as she heard the Hokage call for her from around the corner. Shaking off her nerves, she walked right up to him and bowed before taking the seat across the table from him.

“Yui-chan, I’ve got quite a lot to do today so let’s make this meeting quick, shall we?” asked Hiruzen.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” she replied.

“Good. Now it’s clear to me that you’re the best kunoichi out of your graduating class. Usually I would place you in a team with the highest ranking male student and the lowest student in the class to create a balanced team however I’m not so sure I should do that with you. Before I give you my reasoning, let me ask you a question. Why do you want to be a ninja of the Leaf village? You’re an orphan, you have no solid ties here. You have no friendship groups and spend all your time alone. Most of your teachers say that outside of the Academy, all you want to do is study. I had a student like that once and it didn’t turn out so well for the whole village so I hope you understand why I’m hesitant with you,” rambled the Hokage.

Yui took a moment to reflect on his words. In essence, they were facts. She had no family. She had few friends. Her ties to the village itself were weak, not fond of many things around her. What she did have however, were her beliefs. No old man would break them, and he would be sorely disappointed if he hoped to do so.

“Hokage-sama, you are right. My bonds to this village and to anyone on the outside are weak at best. I have been alone for very long and I don’t anticipate any change in that area. My family is non-existent. My first friend abandoned me and there is a distance between me and my only friend. What I do have though, is a need. I need the future generations to not be dealt a hand as bad as mine in life. I need the system to not fail them, like it has me. I need children to know that their caretakers and adults around them actually care for them, not for them to grow up neglected and have to fend for themselves. My dream is not to rule the village, or go searching for more power. My dream is to be a Jonin-sensei, to help children overcome difficulties and set themselves on a new path. You ask me why I want to be a ninja? What are my ties to this village? It’s not a person Lord Third, my ties to this village are the future generations to come. I will not fail them, no matter how much the system is designed to fail. No one should have to live how we lived… how I lived,” Yui replied with a firm voice.

The Hokage smiled. _ So she already knows who the King of Konoha is _ … he reflected.

“In that case Yui-chan, I will present a choice to you here. If you choose not to take it, that’s perfectly fine, however it will be a long time before it is offered to you again,” he remarked.

“What choice, sir?”

“You are to be placed on a genin team for a year, to understand teamwork and hone your base skills. During this time you will be trained twice a week by 4 Jonin ranked teachers of my choosing, each having a speciality. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu and an undisclosed area that I will choose once I see your progress in the aforementioned three areas. After the year is up, you will take part in the Chuunin exams. If you are successful, you will be placed on an ANBU team until your promotion to Jonin in which case you can decide for yourself if you want to continue with ANBU before you step aside to become a Jonin-sensei,” offered Hiruzen.

_ So you’re basically planning my whole life for me… though I can’t fault the plan _ , Yui thought. If she went through with this she would receive specialised training in each area, as well as be on a fast-track to jonin. Most genin groups stayed together for a minimum of 3 years, and most of them stayed together even past Chunnin promotions. It would bring up her timeline, and allow her to achieve her life goal earlier than anticipated.

“I accept.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: back with a new chap, yay!!! Hope everyone has been keeping safe and healthy during these times!!! Remember to hydrate and rest well!! I’ve been busy with uni but I’m glad I got this one out, starting from next chapter it’s gonna be more broad overviews of her years, with a few years in one chapter, showing her growth and everything outside of naruto before they reconcile!! About 2-3 chapters of that before we get to the fun stuff hehe. As always please please please let me know your thoughts/opinions/reviews either by reviewing or messaging me, I’d love to hear it!! Leave a kudos/favourite if you enjoyed it too!! See you guys next week


	8. New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui's first year out of the Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC.

新 “ new”

Yui didn’t realise what she was getting herself into when she agreed to the Hokage’s terms. Genin only for a year? ANBU right after that? What possessed her to make such a decision, she will always wonder. To say that the first year was tough might be the biggest understatement she’s made in her entire life. Tough didn’t even begin to cover it.

Her first year wasn’t too bad in comparison to the rest. She spent a bulk of the time away from her team either training to reading, as she had recently gained access to the Public Library and the occasional scroll from her mentors or the Hokage himself. Speaking of her team, to tell you the truth, she couldn’t recall much of their time together. One was a Yamanaka clan member named Hikari and the other was a daughter of a rich businessman in the village named Mai, both had looked down on her from the beginning. Upon their initial meeting, there was a clear us and them divide, stemming from class despite what anyone else may claim. They looked down on her for having no backing of a last name or spotless appearance whereas she looked down on them for spending their wealth so frivolously while her and the other orphans had to ration food. It was a match made in hell.

Due to the Hokage’s interference, this was always destined to be a temporary set up. Each of the members of this team had individual talents that needed a keen eye so they formed this mismatched bunch. Maybe it was due to this that they didn’t undergo the feared survival training, instead they had to slowly learn to live and work with each other with each mission. Hikari’s arrogance slowly chipped away, Mai’s carelessness got better and Yui’s habit of judging others began to soften. By the end of the year, they were comfortable calling themselves teammates, maybe even friends. Their teamwork had room for improvement, but they made do and in the end got through the Chuunin exams having each other’s backs. Yui passed with flying colours with only Neji there for support, clapping with both pride and envy. Her mentors were there too, all four of them. Yet, the one person she really wanted present seemed to be nowhere in sight. Funny that, the sun couldn’t be seen on that day either.

Over the course of that year, she ended up getting trained by people that whipped her into the best state possible. She started off with Ninjutsu training, overseen by the Hokage himself . He couldn’t persuade Hatake, it wasn’t like Jiraiya or Tsunade were around and he didn’t want Danzo near the girl so he cleared out his schedule to make space for her training. He went over academy basics and got her chakra paper to test for her elements which ended up being Water release with a secondary affinity for Wind. He could see that she had potential for a third or fourth affinity but that would come later in life. He trained her hard and for long hours, until she got the basics of elemental jutsus down.

Leaving her with some scrolls, he sent her off for Taijutsu training with Might Guy. Since Guy had his own set of Genin, she instead spent time training with them twice a week, constantly sparring and pushing her physical limits. Most would think that Guy only was capable of teaching her how to master his own style but that would be a foolish mistake to make. He taught her how to develop her own style altogether, using more fluid movements and the entire space of the area rather than sharp and strong blows. Her fighting style now was more like a dance. She expended minimal energy but she would lethally dance around her opponents, striking like a viper when given the chance. More than once, Neji commented how it had aspects of the Hyuuga fighting style, but since he never taught it to her she only incorporated what she saw. He also had her wear weights and sometimes participate in his ridiculous customs of challenging Kakashi. How childish.

Moving on, she then spent a lot of time harnessing her Genjutsu capabilities with Kurenai. Though she was the village powerhouse when it came to Genjutsu, Yui had heard rumours that she was nothing compared to the prowess of the Sharingan. Unfortunately for her, the only Uchiha in the village hadn’t even awakened his true potential yet. Despite that, she listened to Kurenai with nothing but the utmost respect, and learned everything she could from her. By the end of her training, she created a new jutsu that could manipulate chakra flows over a large area, bending whoever got caught in her Genjutsu to her will.

Lastly, the Hokage decided she should be trained in Infiltration and Reconnaissance, headed by Anko. To be frank, Hiruzen struggled with the decision of what her final area of training should be due to the fact that she could quite literally be trained in anything. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge, always wanting more. He initially wanted her to be trained in Fuinjutsu however Jiraiya wasn’t due back in the village for another year and so Yui would have to wait to be trained in that area. Anko was the one who came up to him and said that there was a Genin that caught her attention. She wanted to be the one to teach her the art of subtlety and Yui agreed, knowing that only those who were patient and strategic could excel in Infiltration. Yui knew that the moment she made Jounin that Konoha would be her home base but while she was in ANBU she could fully utilise these skills.

Hiruzen wondered sometimes if he was overworking the poor girl. She was only 10, a mere child, yet she was being trained to perfection in all areas possible. Was he doing to her what Danzo was doing to ROOT? Picking them young and manipulating them to be machines all in the name of the village? How hypocritical of him. Regardless if he was or wasn’t, it was much too late to stop the process now. Yui had already passed the Chuunin exam with flying colours and recommendations.

During that year, Yui had heard little of Naruto and seen even less. Sometimes she would catch a blonde flash out the corner of her eye, and wonder if that was him or a trick of light. She missed him more than words but it seemed that the Naruto shaped wound in her heart was slowly healing over. Like any wound it still aches and hurts, especially if you poked at it too long, but it had begun to heal. Though she healed, she still always lacked warmth in her life. She laughed with her teammates, smiled with her mentors and cried when she was alone, but not once did she truly feel like a complete person.

_ The one who taught me all these emotions is absent in my life, so what right do I have to express them? _ she constantly thought.

She had assumed that from the moment they parted ways in the hall, she would be but a footnote in his memory. Someone he occasionally was reminded of, but never at the forefront of his mind. The saddest thing is, she was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: IM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, this was not the once a week as promised but it will be from now!! So we finally see the start of the canon period, with this chap being just before naruto’s graduation and what comes next etc etc. The next few chapters will still be more along the lines of what did Yui do while they were apart but we’ll have one or two Naruto interactions upcoming!! Thank you to everyone who’s been reading, I love to hear from all of you! As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated!


	9. Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Yui found her first few years of ANBU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC.

隔 “ isolate, alternate, distance, separate, gulf”

As the distance between her and Naruto grew larger, so did her repertoire of skills. Following her Genin year, true to his word, the Hokage placed her in ANBU right after her Chuunin exams. Her team passed with ease, working as a single organism instead of letting their differences get to them.

She didn’t keep up much with Hikari and Mai soon after the split, only seeing them around the village and stopping for a quick conversation, but they did have a standing arrangement, one day a year they would meet and have tea in honour of their fallen sensei. Through them she found out that their jounin instructor had met with his end in a mission, not that she was around him much. Apparently it was a set up, and he let himself stay behind as bait to give the others a chance to escape. It’s something he instilled in all of them, your comrades come first and everything else is second. She knew this was something he had the potential to do. Heroes did exist after all. It still hurt, losing someone she knew. She figured she was used to the pain by now. To pay respects and heal, the three of them visited the Shinobi stone once a year, on the anniversary of his passing, and had tea together afterwards. Not once did they miss a day.

With her old comrades orbiting the outer rims of her life, she had space to welcome all that came with being in ANBU. Yui’s initial impression is that they were the elite of the elite, the cream of the crop. They got the mission done, by whatever means necessary and with the most efficiency. It wasn’t somewhere she envisioned herself. She may barricade her heart but she wasn’t heartless.

Her viewpoint on ANBU drastically changed after being there for less than a week. These people were absolute clowns.

“Neko-chan, next time you go on a mission, leave the Kakashi print boxers at home ne?” mocked Tori.

“For the last time, you fucker, it wasn’t mine! I don’t know how it got there! I know Kakashi had something to do with this… he left ANBU but he’s still here all the time. Get a job.” exclaimed Neko, blushing bright red.

“Maa maa, it’s not good to lie now, is it? It’s okay to have a little crush on me, I’m very attractive” chuckled the man in question.

“Literally no one can confirm that statement, senpai.” Neko deadpanned.

Kakashi sat slumped in the corner of the couch in the break room. For someone who wasn’t officially on the ANBU roster, he sure was here a lot.

“Also, I have a job. It’s called failing genin teams.” He added.

“If we have no more shinobi in ten years and get taken over by politicians, its your head I’m coming for” Hebi whispered while placing her gear in the lockers.

“You think we aren’t already controlled by them? We’re the military babes. Get with the program.” Uma pointed out.

“She’s got a point” Neko conceded.

“I’ll drink to that!” cheered Kakashi.

Like she said, absolute clowns. ANBU was nothing like what she expected. When she first joined ANBU, she was tasked with shadowing Neko for a year before being placed on his squadron. Her designation was Kame, a turtle. She thought it was a joke, was she being made fun of? Soon after she realised it was a nod to her personality. Wise and all-seeing. She now knew it was a compliment.

Shadowing Neko for the first year of her ANBU training made Yui’s head spin. The conversations the ANBU would have with each other, even while on mission… this was the elite of Konoha? She has many questions. Where the fuck did the alcohol come from? Why are they drinking on ACTIVE duty? Is everything a joke to them?

It wasn’t until a mission gone wrong a week into her training that she realised why they behaved that way, and once she did, she felt like a fool for not noticing before. They lost Uma on that mission, trapped and tortured before she was killed in front of their eyes. Seeing something like that… it was worlds away from what she experienced as a Genin. This was it. This was the real world. The dark, twisted, evil world she knew existed but never had to face. No, that was wrong. She faced it all the time in the orphanage. She faced it but she never pushed back against it. Stopping it from consuming the world whole.

This was also the mission where she experienced her first kill, before everything with Uma happened. It was the right thing to do, her entire team said so. They curled around her at their campfire, where they set base for the night. Neko hugged her from behind, Uma held her from her left, Tori leaned against her on her right and Hebi placed her head in her lap. The surrounding warmth made Yui’s heart cry. She thought all ANBU were unfeeling. That was wrong. They felt too much. They let her cry it out in silence, letting nothing but her sobs and the sound of nature surround them. This was the best they could comfort her, help heal her.

It was a while before anyone spoke.

“Rules tell us that we should tell you to get over it. Tell you that this is the reality of being a shinobi. Tell you that you were chosen because you came across as so unfeeling, so detached. Rules tell us that the mission comes first, not yourself or your comrades. Rules tell us that ANBU don’t feel. We show no remorse and we do what needs to be done.” Uma finally spoke.

“Fuck those rules.” She continued. “Fuck the system for making machines and monsters to fix their messes. Fuck anyone and everyone who thinks we are puppets or that we are uncaring monsters. The truth is Kame-chan, we feel more than they could imagine. We have to feel every life we take with us for the rest of our lives. We have to feel the weight of the world relying on how we make decisions in the field. We have to feel the pressure on us all the time that if we don’t present the public with this heartless persona, we risk wavering their faith in a broken system. We feel deeper than anyone else. We are human Kame-chan, never forget that. Never let anyone tell you any different either.” Uma concluded.

Strange… she reminded Yui of the sun, her sun.

“Yui.” She said.

“What?”

“My name is Yui.”

A beat passed over the group. Before one by one, they followed suit with a smile behind their masks.

“Aito.” Tori.

“Choko.” Hebi.

“Tenzo.” Neko.

“Koemi.” Uma.

This was how they coped.

When they lost Um- Koemi, everything and nothing changed at the same time. They still joked and drank and laughed, this time with Yui joining in. They also mourned and grieved and cried. This happened more than she would have liked, Yui soon found out. All the system did was send a new recruit to make sure the teams stayed even.

The more time she spent in ANBU, the more jaded she became with age. At 13, there was a hardened edge to her persona now. She was still observant, intelligent and detached but now she was sceptical, critical and judging. She inherited these traits from Koemi, along with her penchant for swearing. Tenzo picked up on this, and lacked the guidance to help her. He was still young himself. He would have sought advice from Kakashi, but he had seen little of the man after he decided to pass and train his new genin team. That was a first. Instead, he was just there for her whenever he could be.

As her beginning years in ANBU passed her by, her thoughts of Naruto were not few and fleeting like she had hoped for. He was still perhaps the most important person to her, but she realistically knew where she stood with him. She was only a shadow to him, that depended on the sun for existence. It didn’t stop her from checking up on him a few times.

When he finally graduated, she left a sunflower and a tub of paint for his pranks at his doorstep. If it weren’t for neglectful teachers and the minimum graduation age of 12 that the Hokage implemented, he might’ve been able to join her sooner. This only widened the distance between the two.

When she heard he made it into the finals of that year's Chuunin exams, she spent a week arguing with the Hokage if she could be stationed at the stadium for the event. She didn’t want nor trust his safety in the hands of his eternal oppressors. When it actually was the finals (and the disaster that ensued), she stopped as many invaders as possible from going after him.

When he went to retrieve Tsunade-sama, she made sure his apartment was kept clean even though she knew he wouldn’t see the difference.

When he returned injured after everything that happened with the last Uchiha, she made sure she was always on guard near the hospital. She would monitor him, his guards and the medical staff every waking hour.

He never noticed any of it, but it still helped her feel close to him. No matter what had gone down between them, no matter her place in his life, he would always hold the most important place in hers. If being with ANBU taught her anything, it was to always treasure those close to you because you never knew when you could lose them for the last time.

He never knew she did any of those things for him, he never knew how she gravitated and revolved around him. He was so absorbed in his new life, his new (former?) best friend, she would bet that he rarely thought of her. She didn’t feel the sting of abandonment anymore, she had grown up beyond that point in her life. She only felt fondness mixed with regret towards him. Fondness for being her pillar during the loneliest years of her life, regret for not doing more to keep him in it. She knew it wasn’t her fault that they weren’t friends anymore neither was it his. It was a product of time, distance and difference in emotional processes and responses. Maybe they would always stay like this, close enough to always lose grip of each other. After all, how does one hold onto the sun without getting burnt?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: surprise!! Another update. Did anyone catch my Tenzo/Yamato appearance?? I wanted to start introducing more characters that play an integral role. Next chapter explores some other areas of her life, along with the struggles of growing up in such a messed up system!! Let me know what you all thought of this one, my writing definitely took me in a different direction compared to usual… As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated! Also, if you’ve left a review check your messages I’ve replied to them there!!


	10. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto leaves for his training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC.

徯 ”wait for, await, expect, hope”

Yui will never forget the roller coaster of emotions that came with finding out Naruto had left the village. She was in the Hokage’s office, with the rest of her ANBU team, reporting on their previous mission regarding the movements of the Akatsuki when the cursed words left the village leaders' lips.

“Damn, it’s only been a few days since the brat has left but I can’t put myself at ease knowing what’s coming for him…. I should’ve sent a squad to shadow him at least.” Tsunade murmured under her breath.

Yui paused so momentarily that it escaped the notice of almost everyone. Yamato caught the action from the corner of his eye and made a mental note to bring it up with her after they had gone through the post-mission proceedings. He himself hadn’t interacted with the most infamous kid in the village but he knew that Yui held a special bond with him, one that can’t be broken by distance or time as it seems.

_ He’s …. Gone…. _ Her mind echoed at her.  _ He’s really gone. _

During her walk home back to her cheap apartment on the outskirts of the city, she was in a daze. He left. He left her again. He didn’t even indicate he was going anywhere, not that they were on speaking terms. How could he have left and not say anything to his first friend, was she that unimportant to him now?

All these thoughts and more kept running through her head as she entered her place. The only thing that snapped her out of it was the sound of crinkling paper coming from underneath her feet. Blinking her eyes a few times, she bent forward and picked up a small plain slip of paper with her name on top. It’s been so long since she had seen the writing that she almost couldn’t place who wrote it. With trembling hands, she turned it around and read words that would forever be ingrained in her head.

_ Dear Yui-chan, _

_ We haven’t talked in a while, ne? You might be surprised to hear from me, maybe as surprised as I am while writing this. I’m leaving the village for a while to train with this powerful but weird old guy. I wish you could’ve met him, I know you would have something funny to say about him. I’m telling you all this because I miss you. I think about my first friend now and then and miss her, ya know? I have more friends now, all of Rookie Nine actually and even some people in your year level! Hinata’s asshole cousin Neji said he knew you actually, and that you were great friends. At first, I didn’t know why you would be friends with a jerk like him but now I think I do. Even though I have all these great friends now, there’s still something missing and it isn’t Sasuke-teme leaving. It’s you. When I come back from my training trip, you and I are gonna work this out! Believe it! See you in three years Yui-chan! _

__

_ Your future Hokage and #1 ninja, _

_ Naruto. _

Yui saw the teardrops hit the letter before she felt them running down her face. He missed her just like she missed him. He didn’t say bye without leaving. He remembered her.

Three years, huh? See you then, Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: hi everyone!! Just a short update to keep you guys entertained before the time skip. Initially I didn’t know how I wanted to work this in and thought I could do pre and post time skip in one but the writing didn’t flow very well so I decided to make this part a short intermission/filler almost until we get to Shippuden! As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated! Also, if you’ve left a review check your messages I’ve replied to them there!!


	11. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three years Yui spends without Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC.

殆 “almost, quite, really”

Before she knew it, three years had flown by. In these three years, Yui had become almost unrecognisable to those who knew her when she first graduated. Through her team, and her pseudo brothers Yamato and Neji, she had begun to trust more, talk more and live more. Not to mention, the letter from a certain blonde definitely seemed to help.

Her time waiting for his return began with increased missions with her ANBU team. Tori, Neko and Hebi were still part of her team, with a new Uma being inducted after the appropriate 1 month grace period for mourning. At first it took her awhile, but eventually the team warmed up to the new Uma, eventually learning her identity of Saki Yamanaka. She wasn’t descended from the Head of the clan therefore there wasn’t a need for her name to take on some variation of the word Ino.

Yui herself became particularly close with Saki, since Saki was only two years her elder. They spent time together outside of missions, first with taking their drunk teammates home and then with shopping. Though Yamato and Neji and even her previous teammates pushed her out of her closed off shell, it was with Saki that she felt a little more like how she was when she was still close to Naruto. She openly emoted now, albeit still only with those extremely close to her, but she expressed herself with a little more ease. Her deadpan humour also started to make an appearance, particularly after being agitated.

Everyone began to comment on her more accepting demeanour. She still retained that aura of observance and silence, but this time there was a warmth in her eye that most would have previously immediately dismissed. Part of it was from receiving that letter from Naruto. It had made her realised that when she closed him off, she closed herself off too. She refused to be shackled by her emotions anymore, instead she wanted to allow them to flow through her naturally instead of engaging in an eternal battle with them for control.

Not only did her personality see a shift, so did her skills. She refused to grow complacent and comfortable in her role as an ANBU operative, she knew that if she slacked off she would get killed in field. Sometimes she wondered how society could sleep at night when they sent children and teenagers on life altering and traumatising tasks to keep them safe? That the entrusted political system constantly found ways to make their average age of their forces lower and lower, until mere kids were fighting their battles for them? Tch. This line of thinking made her get into her now famous moods, and everyone knew to avoid her when she was in them.

Her favourite thing to do when she was in one of those moods was to train. Whenever Yui wasn’t on a mission or wasn’t socialising, she was training. She spent her Taijutsu training time with Might Gai when he was free, increasing her weights every 6 months. She also sparred with Lee and Neji whenever she got the chance. Lee to test a variety of styles agains, Neji to help her perfect hers. Until this day, Neji hasn’t figured out how she can mimic the Hyuuga fighting style without having learnt it and adapting it with her own movements. Her Taijutsu style was almost a branch off from the Hyuuga one, but with more fluidity and flexibility, almost like a dance.

Tenten however helped her more with her sealing techniques. After Jiraiya had returned to the village and before the Third’s passing, he agreed to help train her in the art of Sealing. However since he couldn’t physically be there in the village, he created an arrangement with her where he taught her via scrolls that would be sent every two weeks with his summons and she would be given a week to respond. This system worked perfectly for them and sometimes he even snuck in updates about Naruto if she asked nicely. She assumed Naruto told him about their friendship since he never questioned why when she did ask.

Ninjutsu training was an area she was concerned about after the passing of the Third but with her ANBU team, she had nothing to worry about. They took rotations in helping her depending on who was free that month (some of them took on solo missions) and kept her Elemental training up. During this time she had mastered Water release with ease, thanks to it being her primary affinity. She had also studied the theory of Wind release however she could never truly track down and spend time learning and developing Wind release Jutsu’s as there were so few Wind users in the village and all of them were active shinobi. This was an area she vowed to work on.

An area she definitely didn’t need much assistance in was Genjutsu. In fact, in those three years, she had become the village go-to Genjutsu Mistress, along with Kurenai. Her effortless implementation of the art was astounding, and even those who were Genjutsu resistant found it a little harder than usual to break. Her lethal Jutsu of controlling all those who step into a wide-area boundary had proved to assist her team tenfold during extensive missions, making them the most efficient team in the division. That, and her team being Infiltration specialists. Her time with Anko was short but powerful, learning all the techniques to manipulate a situation to her benefit. Her only task now was to continue to implement it when she was out on a mission, unless her aim was to become head of the department, which it most definitely was not.

She still met once a year with Hikari and Mai. It was strange, when they were teammates they saw each other all the time but never felt close but now when they only see each other once a year, they pour their hearts out. It was during her final year of waiting for Naruto, a few months before he was due back, when everything came to a head over a cup of tea.

“Yui… you know they both of us have never been ones to mince words” began Hikari.

Immediately the usual smile on her face when she was with them, began to fade.

“Before we even start, we’re not judging you here. We’re concerned.” Continued Mai.

“Go on.” Uttered Yui. She didn’t know where this was going and she didn’t like it.

“These past few years, we’ve finally seen the real you. The one who opens her heart for others, the one who protects them. We know from the little you’ve told us before and whatever you’ve told Sensei, that you were like this once. You were so wary and distrusting of the world that you only opened up when you were a kid, because of a whiskered blonde boy. He broke you out of that Yui, and by doing that, he became your whole world.” Hikari spoke.

_ Not my world, just my sun. My hero…  _ Yui thought bitterly. If they were going to comment on it, at least get it right. She frowned at them and chose not to say anything, instead letting Mai continue.

“When you two got separated, you still didn’t break and instead you found a bond with Neji-san. Which we are sooo grateful for, don’t get us wrong. But when everything with that boy went to shit, so did you. From what we heard, it’s like a light flickered out in you. You became that shell again, only showing a matchsticks worth of warmth to Neji and that’s it. We were nothing to you at the start, admit it!” Mai exclaimed.

“So, what’s your point? Where are you going with this? I’m better now, aren’t I? I’m smiling more, being more open, for fucks sake I pour out my feelings to you guys once a year. What more do you want from me?” Yui spoke, starting to get pissed off.

“We want your moods to stop being so heavily controlled by the actions of a boy.” Hikari dealt out.

Everything went still. Tension was thick in the air as every party began to analyse that blow.

“Do you take me as a fool? Do you think I allow any person that much power over me?” Yui calmly answered.

“Yeah, we do. Look at the facts Yui. He becomes your friend, you’re warm. He ‘leaves’ you, you’re cold. He gives you a note, you’re warm again. Yeah you flicker in and out sometimes, but you put him on such a pedestal that his every action is the pebble to your tsunami. Your entire emotional output is so reliant on his every move, it’s not fucking healthy. You can’t continue like this. What if when he comes back he wants nothing to do with you again? Are you going to shut us out this time? What about Neji? What about your team? It doesn’t look this intense from your viewpoint, sure I get that. Imagine how it looks to the rest of us though. We haven’t experienced you during Naruto, but Neji has. He’s already spoken to us about this. Apparently he thinks our once a year meetings would do you the best good in getting this point across.” Hikari concluded harshly.

“We’re not saying to kick him out of your life Yui. We’re just saying to stop making him the centre of it. What’s he done for you since you both split, besides leave you that note? We all know what you’ve done for him. Has he given you even half of that in return?” Mai softly spoke.

“What has he done for me? He was the first one to show me how to live, you assholes. Before him, I lived in a miserable and endless situation. No friends, no family, nothing. All I had were my books. He was the first person to show me warmth in my life, the first one to care. For me, that’s all he had to give to earn my eternal loyalty.” Yui scoffed at them.

“Loyalty is fine, devotion is not. Knock him off that pedestal now Yui, before it crushes you when he does it himself.” With that, they both said their goodbyes and left the tea shop.

Yui sat there for hours, going over their words. She didn’t place that much importance on him, they were clearly exaggerating. Even if she did, Naruto cared for her in return. What more could she ask for? They were friends, each others first friends. She knew he would show her the same loyalty in return.

As she pondered on this, she felt a familiar chakra nearby. Neji’s. She stood up and paid, before making her way over to him. He had a hand in this and she wanted answers.

She approached him with such ferocity in her eyes that when they made eye contact, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. She grabbed him without a word and dragged him to the closest training grounds. She didn’t just want words, she needed to get this rage out of her too. She assumed her stance and he did too. He had no idea what she was doing but he wasn’t about to sit there and be defenceless.

“What the fuck did you say to Hikari and Mai, asshole?” She swiped.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He ducked.

“Naruto, fucker. Why did you mention anything to them? I don’t see the issue. So what if I hold him close and place high importance on him, you know what he’s done for me.” She danced around him as he tried to lock up her chakra points.

“Yui. Now you’re being foolish. You know, no matter how deep down this knowledge is, that you hold him to an impossibly high standard. When he does right, you shine. When he does wrong, you falter and dim. He’s a friend yes, but friends can’t destroy a person so completely when they leave. Which technically, he didn’t.” Neji retorted, unable to land a proper hit on her yet.

“Are you trying to tell me he didn’t abandon me when all I had was him?” Yui began to get even angrier.

Hurt in Neji’s eyes reflected back at her own. Both of them stopped fighting.

“You had me. I apologise that I wasn’t enough.” Neji quietly spoke, before walking off. He would speak to her again when they both weren’t so emotionally affected. He knew she didn’t mean what he implied, but it hurt all the same.

Yui watched him leave, which caused a pit of guilt to well up in her stomach, making her sick. What Neji said, struck something in her. When Naruto abandoned her, her sole focus was still on him. Actually, she couldn’t even call it abandoning. As much as she likes to forget it, she’s still a child. So is he. Back then he was even younger and probably didn’t realise how to get in contact with her. She just took him leaving the orphanage at face value and allowed it to consume her.

Hikari…Mai… Neji… they were right. She let herself be determined by his actions, and that was too much to give to one person, first friend or not. She needed to make things right with him when he came back, but before he did, she needed to make things right with herself. She needed to be happy on her own, not because some letter uplifted her outlook on life. She would learn to unlearn him, no matter how hard it was or how long it took. She needed to, because if she didn’t, she would never have a healthy friendship with him.

Too bad that only a few days before his return, she was sent on a long term mission to Kumo. One that was so extensive and long that the next time she saw Naruto was on the battlefield during the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: hope i’m not being too mean with that ending hehe, trust me it’s important for their separation to be even longer!! You’ll see why in the next chapter. As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated! Also, if you’ve left a review check your messages I’ve replied to them there!! Next chapter is finally going to be post-war (mostly) and getting into the development of all the different relationships!


	12. Interlude - The War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief overview of Yui's time in the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC

Yui always knew she would die on the battlefield; she was shinobi after all. Most did not grow old enough to see grey hairs set in, and even if you did, the village always came first. She knew she was talented, powerful even. She could last well beyond the average age for shinobi with ease, the Third Hokage told her as much during her training sessions with him. She knew though, that this wouldn’t likely be the case. She had the skills to make it that long, but she hadn’t predicted a fucking ninja war to occur either.

When she gathered for battle, she knew her Genjutsu prowess held no power over these beings. Her saving grace came in the form of her Sealing techniques that she had learned from Jiraiya and developed over her years in Cloud. When she got the orders to be pulled out of her mission, she was in shock. This could compromise everything she was working towards during her time here. As she read on, she understood that there would be no mission when the end of the world as she knows it was at stake. Within minutes she had packed her belongings and left the mountain on which she resided. Her village needed her… Naruto needed her. She knew without a doubt this had something to do with him and whatever she had pieced together about him being the Kyuubi container. ANBU whispers were powerful after all.   
  
During the war, she made up the masses with her fellow shinobi. No longer seeing each other by nation, now unified through a common threat. Her brush with death came through a spike piercing the left side of her stomach. She counted her blessings when a field medic patched her up enough to keep fighting, and fight she did. She nearly crumbled again seeing Neji almost die, and was saddened to see that another Branch Hyuuga jumped in the way to protect him. He had yet to fulfil his promise of liberation to the branch house, the fallen Hyuuga reminded him. She could not offer him comfort from across the battlefield, but vowed to be there for him as soon as this was all over. With Naruto’s leadership and inspiration, along with the arrival of the Hokages and Sasuke, her fellow troops transcended the pain they were going through and gave it their all. Nothing prepared her for when the Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast.

To her, it felt as good as real. It also came with unwanted revelations. She was lying on the field of the orphanage, hand in hand with a certain blonde whiskered boy. She was in civilian clothing and so was he, pointing out shapes that the clouds made and what stories they told. Her gaze never once left his face and a soft smile found a home in her expression, seeing him talk so animatedly. They lay there for what could have been minutes, hours, days… but for however long it was, his hand never left hers. That’s how she knew this couldn’t be real. That’s how she knew she was in love with him, and had been for a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh *waves hand nervously* hello everyone… long time no see haha…. I tried over and over again to write out fight scenes for this chapter but it just wasn’t my thing and so I decided to make this a little interlude and then we can go post-war in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought. As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated!


	13. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui and Naruto meet once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC

遇  “meet, encounter, interview, treat, entertain, receive, deal with”

If Yui had realised earlier that giving up her spot on the Hokage’s personal guard to go on an infiltration mission in Cloud would’ve cost her 3 years with everyone, she would’ve never taken it. What started as a simple 4-month long mission that spiralled out of control until she was knee deep in Cloud territory with no obvious way out. She definitely reaped the benefits of her mission by knowing the Cloud nin around her would have her back in the field, but she didn’t think the price of this loyalty was worth it. The Hokage did though, and made sure to comment on such on their way back to Konoha once they had separated from the other villages.

Yui fluttered around the middle of the abysmally small formation, the amount of shinobi around her far less than ideal. Too many were lost in battle, too few had survived, no one unscathed. True to her brand, she preferred not being the centre of attention or anywhere near it. Ahead of her, Tsunade-sama and the heroes of the war headed the pack back home. Her eyes searched for that familiar long brown hair and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he was safe. Seeing him nearly die in front of her shook her more than she would have liked to admit. Neji had always been her friend, her confidant. She knew now, without a doubt, that he was probably the only person on the planet that knew her better than she did.

There have been many instances when her ANBU team teased the both of them, sometimes she would even hear it from Hikari and Mai when they met up. Both her and Neji knew the truth though, all they would be is soulmates of the platonic kind. He always knew when she needed him and vice versa, with none of those messy feelings involved. Neji understood that it would take a special man to compete for that place in her heart that she herself previously didn’t realise she had reserved for someone else and Yui knew that Neji has always harboured a soft spot for Konoha’s bun-wearing, weapons-wielding mistress.

She heard a few gasps around her which snapped her out of her thoughts. Blinking twice, she realised she felt a presence to her right far closer than anyone had been when they started their journey home. She turned her head to find blonde hair, blue eyes and whiskers facing her. Blonde hair… blue eyes… whiskers… Naruto! She didn’t realise she had said any of this out loud until she heard a little chuckle. It’s like her senses were being overloaded. He looked so alive, so bright, despite facing literal hell and losing an arm in the process. Though it had been many years, he looked somehow the same as he always did, full of hope and joy. She knew she was staring but she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn, this was Naruto after all. The last time she actually saw him, and he saw her, they parted ways. They were denied the chance to reunite when he got back from his training trip as she was wrapped up in her Cloud mission. Finally, after all this time, they were in the same place at the same time. No longer we’re they parallel, finally their paths intersected once more.

While she took the chance to take it all in as they flew through the trees, Naruto didn’t miss the opportunity to do the same. The last time he saw Yui, they were both little children with big dreams and their whole life ahead of them. Now, however, it feels like they’ve lived a whole lifetime since they last met. The memory of them lying in the orphanage field to stare at the starry sky felt more like a dream. She had certainly changed since then. Her glossy caramel hair that now reached mid back had gained multiple shades due to her obvious time outdoors, with shorter strands cut to frame her face. Her time in the sun also reflected on her skin tone, a few shades tanner than he remembered. Her cheeks lost much of her baby fat from her childhood that left stunning angular features. Her eyes however, those hadn’t changed one bit. Those emerald gems still looked at him as though he was the answer to every question on her pretty, plump lips. He briefly wondered if she looked at anyone else that way or if it was solely reserved for him, her closest childhood friend.

Lost in their own bubble, with their bodies on auto-pilot, Yui and Naruto spent more than a few moments reconciling the image of who they knew with who they see before them. Beyond the physical differences, there was so much to consider. Did they still enjoy the same food? The same humour? The same sleeping habits? What have they gone through? How could they begin to explain? Could they even really call each other friends at this stage? Neither one wanted to break the silence, too overcome with emotion to even begin processing what to say. Naruto decided that since he was the one to approach her, he would be the first to say something. He knew Sakura was getting restless in the front because of how much time he was taking. He promised her he would only be a few moments so that she wouldn’t freak out over any potential further damage to his arm, but he knew this conversation would take longer than that. Collecting his thoughts, he started speaking.

“It’s been a while huh Yui-chan? Or… Yui. I don't know what to call you anymore…” Naruto began softly.

“Yui-chan, please, Naruto. You never lost that right.” Yui responded with the same volume. She was too shocked he was right there speaking to her to even think about what he was saying, she knew all her unfiltered thoughts would be making an appearance today.

“So… you weren’t there when I got back from training. I thought, maybe, you were still mad at me or something.” Naruto awkwardly scratched his cheek. He wondered about her location and Tsunade refused to disclose it, only mentioning that she was alive and well which was enough to keep him at bay at the time.

“No, I stopped being mad years ago. I realised that maybe I didn’t really have that right, I-I walked away too.” Yui stuttered out.

“Yeah…”

“Yeah…”

“Did you miss me… at all? I missed you, dattebayo. I missed you a lot. The more I grew up, the more I missed you. Before I left, I would think about you and how you would have fit into the life I made for myself. I… I was a coward Yui-chan. I didn’t reach out because I got so caught up in proving myself and making new friends, and I made all sorts of excuses. When I got back, you were the first person I asked for. No one told me anything, not even Baa-chan. I get that you were on a mission or something, but it hurt because I thought after all these years of nothing I would finally have something from you. I never forgot you, even though my younger self may have acted like it.” Naruto rambled, desperate to make it clear to Yui that he never wanted her out of his life.

“Naruto, it’s okay. I mean it’s not okay, but you know. I played a big part in the radio silence too. I would care for you from afar, not wanting to take another step closer. Fear that you forgot me or didn’t care about me anymore kept me away, and then the distance kept you away. I did a lot of growing up without you in my life and I’m glad for that, I just wish you were there with me to see it happen.” Yui quietly responded. She felt joy, nostalgia, regret and sadness all at the same time and didn’t know how to process any of it.

“Yeah…”

“Yeah…”

Silence engulfed them as they both wondered how to proceed from here. After all these years Yui finally realised that she was in love with Naruto. She didn’t think love would find her this early in life, when she was only 18, but that gave her ample time to get over it and move on. Yui held no delusions, she knew Naruto would never feel that way about her. He had just saved the world, and she was just an extra in the background who was once his childhood friend. She wasn’t the smartest, or the prettiest, or the most anything really. Yui was annoyingly average, with only her shinobi skills being notable. It wasn’t enough for someone like Naruto, he only deserved the best. She knew he would most likely end up with someone from the Konoha Twelve, either Sakura or Hinata probably. Whatever the outcome, no matter how much it ripped her heart apart, the only place she had in his life was that of his many friends. How cruel that she would go back to being the space that surrounded the sun, with the others claiming a bigger portion of his energy and warmth. She could do this, she would have to. It wasn’t her place to demand anything from him, least of all his attention.

As Yui pondered in silence, Naruto spent his time thinking about how he was going to get her to hang out with him again. Would she still want to go to Ichiraku with him or had her tastes changed? Maybe they could spar together and he could see how good she really was. What if she wanted to do something boring like hang out at the library? Well, he would do it. He would do anything she asked if that meant them being friends again. He meant it when he said that he always thought about her and how she would fit into the life he made for himself. It didn’t feel quite right without her there. His world always felt slightly off-tilt, and now he was finally putting it on the right axis again. The ease he felt around her, no one else could evoke. With her, he never felt the need to impress or amaze. He just always felt… himself. He grinned at the thought of having their friendship back on a permanent basis. He felt a flare of chakra from Sakura, interrupting his thoughts _. Ah… that’s my signal to head back so she can check up on the arm I guess _ , he thought. He knew he couldn’t suddenly leave, not if he wanted to fix things between him and Yui.

“I have to head back now but um would you like to hang out once things settle down? We could go get some ramen or train, dattebayo. I just want us to be friends again.” Naruto asked.

As Yui searched his eyes for any deceit and found none, she knew her answer.

“Naruto, we never stopped being friends, not really. I would be honoured if you still considered me as such. Of course we can hang out, let’s just head back to Konoha and get ourselves sorted out first okay? We have all the time in the world now” Yui grinned slightly at him.

His gaze softened as he took in her response.  _ Yeah… we have all the time in the world now _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: HERE WE GO!!! THE REUNION OF THESE TWO!!! I hope the fluff but angst but good enough haha, I wondered for a long time if I wanted to make their reunion a good one or not but I’m happy with how this played out. I think they both just need something good in their life at this stage, don’t you? Now we’re finally into post-war area where I’m just going to change things up. Neji is still alive because no way is he dying in my fic, and yes, Naruto and Sasuke still lose their arms because it was an important battle which signified a lot of communication and growth between the two and even though it definitely could’ve been done differently, I wouldn’t know how to go about doing it so yeah. As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated! Also, if you’ve left a review check your messages I’ve replied to them there!! Thank you so much to everyone who’s been reading it, I’ll be getting back into more regular updates now that I’ve gotten some free time.


	14. History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yui and Neji talk, and her and Naruto bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or it’s universe unfortunately, only my OC.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter discusses some potentially triggering issues such as torture, starvation and rape. None of them go into detail but it’s mentioned. Please read at your own discretion. There will be an indication where these topics are mentioned.

All the time in the world really meant once or twice a month at most, or at least that’s all the free time either of them had to spare. As expected for the Saviour of the Ninja World, Naruto found his schedule busier than ever before. He now had to make appearances at every political event, and almost any time he was out in public too. Such was expected of the Hokage-in-training of course. Yui could never fault him for that, though she did feel a bit miffed at the start. When they spoke of re-connecting, she somehow expected...more. She always does. Maybe she hadn’t quite shed herself of her expectations of him, she needed to do that soon if she wanted to avoid further heartbreak.   
  
Yui kept quite busy herself, firstly with the one month break that all ANBU who returned from long term missions were required to take followed up by ANBU missions and training. A lot of her time in the first month was spent with Neji, a surprise to most really. While Neji was her closest friend, they often did not spend long amounts of time in each other's presences, knowing one of them was bound to get on the others nerves. It was expected though, since she had been gone for 3 years and in that time the both of them did a lot of growing up, witnessing things that no one should have.   
  
Her first night of the break was spent on the floor of her old apartment with Neji lying next to her, as they sat in darkness and poured out 3 years of memories to each other. He surprised her with his development, moving beyond the pent-up resentment to the main house and shifting his energy into abolishing the system as a whole. He told her of his healed relationship with Hinata, even growing attached to little Hanabi. The dynamic between him and the main house now shifting to one of contestment rather than outright uprising.   
  
To say that Yui was proud of him would be an understatement. She had never expected such insight from her shrewd best friend, such growth. She always knew that he was destined for great things, being the better of the duo, and it finally seemed like he was on the right path. However his response to hearing about her mission made her realise that Neji had now become a man. 

When she began her tale, from how she left the village to when she first arrived at cloud, nothing of major significance alerted him to what had truly happened to her. Yui had been tasked by Tsunade sama to seek a rare herb that only grew in the Cloud village and understand everything about it’s genetic make up, ideal environmental growth conditions, and uses. According to the file presented to her by the Hokage, this herb had been rumoured to help significantly in synthesising antidotes for poisons, making it a priority as Orochimaru and the Akatsuki were still formidable threats at the time. Yui’s task led her to an isolated village near rocky mountains on the outer edges of the Cloud village. Her first few weeks there were spent getting to know the villagers and the land. It was in her third week there that everything went south. 

**(WARNING: Sensitive topics ahead, see notes at the start of chapter for more detail)**

The plant did indeed exist, exclusively in the land of the local gang in town. Yui mistakenly underestimated them as she began to plan her infiltration and information extraction. As she was midst break-in, one of them turned out to be an estranged Nara, capturing her in their shadow. She never got a good look at the person who caught her, only remembering their menacing laugh as they dragged her to their dungeon. She was cuffed with chakra suppressors, and the rest that continued consists of things that make up nightmares. She was starved, tortured, beat, suffocated, kicked around and… taken advantage of. As she revealed her months of torture to Neji, his only response was to grab her hand next to him and grip it at full strength, partly for comfort and partly to hold himself back. When she finally revealed that after several months of this, she was rescued by some Cloud shinobi who had caught wind of the gang's activities and came to put a stop to it. They ended up taking her back to the capital city, where she explained her case to the Raikage and B who had taken pity on her and allowed her refuge while she healed from the trauma. She knew that logically she should have returned to Konoha but the part of her that always came out on top refused to run home with her tail between her legs. 

  
  


After recounting the entire experience to Neji, the first thing he did was pull her into her arms and ask “What do you need me to do? How can I help?”. Then, she broke. 

  
He held her as she let out years of tears and pent up suffering. He held her until her eyes were red and her throat was sore. He held her until the stars of the night faded away into the light of the sun. Not once did Neji let go of Yui that night, and that’s how she knew that he had become so much more than he was before. 

Until this day, two years after that night, Yui had not told another person of what happened. The only people who knew the truth was Neji and whoever Lady Fifth gave SS-Classified access to. A part of her knew that Naruto would see the file one day, but she hoped to tell him the truth herself before then. Their stand-fast monthly ramen meal wasn’t quite the ideal time or place to say anything. In the two years since the war ended, not once had either of them missed their monthly catch up. The awkwardness in the air during the initial meetups was almost palpable, but they both worked through it. Naruto would spend most of it talking, yet Yui never grew bored of his tales or the expressions on his face. He could tell her tales of giant chakra beasts or how the Academy kids made fun of him today and she would enjoy each and every meal with a smile on her face. Eventually the conversations grew deeper, and the once unbreakable trust between the two began to form again. It was Yui who first opened up, telling him about her Genin sensei and how it affected her. In turn, Naruto discussed how he felt thinking Kakashi had died when Pein attacked. This opened up the avenue for them to get to know each other and the lives they lived now. He learned all about Hikari and Mai and she learned about Sasuke and Sakura. Both made promises to introduce each other to the team but yet their old enemy time always got in the way. 

It wasn’t until her apartment water pipes burst that Naruto and Yui really had the chance to take up more space in each other's lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Eeep! Hello it’s me! I keep sounding like a broken record but sorry I took so long, I hope you enjoy this latest update. You finally get some answers as to what happened with Yui and why she was in Cloud. We also see her and Naruto bonding a bit more. In the next chapter: *gaps* and they were roommates! How will this affect their relationship now? Also in the next chapter: Kakashi and Yui interact properly for the first time! Expecting to update in about two weeks but we’ll see how it goes! Hope everyone is staying safe during these times! As always, please leave a favourite/kudos if you liked it and reviews and criticism (public or DM’ed) would be very appreciated! Also, if you’ve left a review check your messages I’ve replied to them there!! Thank you so much for reading!!!


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